Deep in the Heart FF 2021 wraps banner edition of fest and celebrates with filmmaker awards presentations

Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival today announced the award winners for the 5th edition of the film festival which concluded it’s in-person presentations on Sunday with an entertaining Awards Brunch hosted by the Dr. Pepper Museum. The awards haul was led by Chris White’s Electric Jesus (Best Narrative Feature Film), Kevin Smokler and Christopher Boone’s Vinyl Nation (Best Documentary Feature). Top individual awards were given to Outlaw’s Buckle’s Brett Bentman (Best Director), and Electric Jesus’ Brian Baumgartner (Best Performance).

This year’s edition of the popular film festival featured a return to in-theater screenings and in-person events as part of a hybrid approach to the film festival. Deep in the Heart Film Festival’s celebrated lineup of themed short film programs once again were a highlight, along with the return of the film festival’s Filmmaker Game Night, readings of competition screenplays, parties, and Opening Night red carpet entrances.

Co-Founders and Co-Directors Louis Hunter and Samuel Thomas, said, “While the Deep in the Heart Film Festival has gained national notoriety the last couple of years, we are very much a community-based event that thrives on the personal connection built between our filmmakers and our local film fans. There was a lot of anticipation to getting back to seeing these films on the big screen and having those conversations on film in a physical space once again.” Hunter and Thomas added, “Our award-winning films this year emphasized that connection from person-to-person in a variety of entertaining and creative ways. Out of a wonderful lineup, they were are very deserving of being singled out for these awards.”

Leading the award winners in the short film categories were; Justin Giddings and Ryan Welsh’s It’s Okay, which took the prize for Best Short Film; Samantha Ireland’s Wolves Inside, which garnered the Best Texas Short Film award; Zeke Farrow’s Megan’s Shift, which won Best U.S. Short Film; Iván Sainz-Pardo’s Faces, which was named Best Foreign Short Film; and Alexander Rosales’ Tejano Night, which won Best Student Short Film. Short films cited with Special Jury Awards included; Beth (Director: Ava Bounds); Falling Sparrow (Director: Justin Wang Powell); Fraser Syndrome & Me (Director: Kyle Anne Grendys); and Manos de Oro (Hands of Gold) (Director: Merced Elizondo).

Film awards by genre in the Short Film category went to; Lauren Noll’s Honor for Best Drama Short; Nancy Sullivan’s Masterclass, which took Best Comedy Short; and Ricky Rhodes’ Not Just Another Day, which was named Best Documentary Short. Sage Mears and Aaron Pagniano’s Transfer was named Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short; Matthew and Nathaniel Barber’s No One Is Coming scared up the award for Best Horror/Thriller Short; Becca Roth’s The Book of Ruth received the award for Best Family Short; and Gregory Kasunich won Best Music Video for Sophie Strauss’ “Dog Fight.”

Filmmaking craft awards were given to; Sharon Arteaga for Best Director – Short Film for When You Clean a Stranger’s Home; Margaret Cho won Best Performance – Short Film (Drama) for her role in Koreatown Ghost Story; and Keith Powell won Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy) for his work in In White Places. Best Cinematography – Short Film went to Aaron Youngblood (Exactly as They Are), Best Editing – Short Film was given toSummer Spiro for It’s Okay, and Best Screenplay – Short Film went to Phillip Musumeci for How to End a Conversation. Paulina Manseau’s “Kiki” was cited as the Best Unproduced Screenplay. while Alycya Magaña received an Honorable Mention for their script “El Vals” (The Waltz”).

Audience Awards went to White’s Electric Jesus (Feature Film Audience Award) and Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum’s Koreatown Ghost Story (Short Film Audience Award). This year’s festival exceeded over 1000 tickets and passes sold, with viewers joining us online from all across Texas and the US plus, Ireland, the UK, Canada, Germany and Finland.

“We like to say that we bring the world to Waco, but with the Deep in the Heart online encore, Waco reaches out to the world,” said, Thomas. “For us, the combination of in-person and online events is so important to the success of the festival. Not only are we able to meet our communities where they are, it enables us to enlarge our footprint in the festival landscape,” added Hunter.

For more information on tickets and the Deep in the Heart Film Festival, please go to: https://www.deepintheheartff.com/.

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2021 Deep in the Heart Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners

Feature Film Awards

Best Feature Film (Narrative)

Electric Jesus

Director: Chris White

Best Feature Film (Documentary)

Vinyl Nation

Directors: Kevin Smokler, Christopher Boone

Best Director – Feature Film

Brett Bentman (Outlaw’s Buckle)

Best Performance – Feature Film

Brian Baumgartner (Electric Jesus)

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Audience Awards

Feature Film

Electric Jesus

Director: Chris White

Short Film

Koreatown Ghost Story

Directors: Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum

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Short Film Awards

Best Short Film

It’s Okay

Directors: Justin Giddings, Ryan Welsh      

               

Best Texas Short Film

Wolves Inside

Director: Samantha Ireland

Best United States Short Film

Megan’s Shift

Director: Zeke Farrow

Best Foreign Short Film

Faces

Director: Iván Sainz-Pardo       

           

Best Student Short Film

Tejano Night

Director: Alexander Rosales     

          

Special Jury Award – Short Films

Beth (Director: Ava Bounds)

Falling Sparrow (Director: Justin Wang Powell)

Fraser Syndrome & Me (Director: Kyle Anne Grendys)

Manos de Oro (Hands of Gold) (Director: Merced Elizondo)

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Short Film Awards by Genre

Best Drama Short

Honor

Director: Lauren Noll

Best Comedy Short

Masterclass

Director: Nancy Sullivan

Best Documentary Short

Not Just Another Day

Director: Ricky Rhodes

Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short

Transfer

Directors: Sage Mears, Aaron Pagniano         

              

Best Horror/Thriller Short

No One Is Coming

Directors: Matthew Barber, Nathaniel Barber  

             

Best Family Short

The Book of Ruth

Director: Becca Roth

Best Music Video

“Dog Fight”

Artist: Sophie Strauss

Director: Gregory Kasunich

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Short Film Craft Awards

Best Director – Short Film

Sharon Arteaga (When You Clean a Stranger’s Home)

Best Performance – Short Film (Drama)

Margaret Cho (Koreatown Ghost Story)

Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy)

Keith Powell (In White Places)

Best Cinematography – Short Film

Aaron Youngblood (Exactly as They Are)

Best Editing – Short Film

Summer Spiro (It’s Okay)

Best Screenplay – Short Film

Phillip Musumeci (How to End a Conversation)

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Screenplay Competition

Best Unproduced Screenplay – First Place

“Kiki” (Writer: Paulina Manseau)

Best Unproduced Screenplay – Honorable Mention

“El Vals” (The Waltz”) (Writer: Alycya Magaña)